Microsoft knew the buildings on its 500-acre campus were incredibly energy-inefficient, but its engineers didn't care for the $60 million-plus estimate for a traditional fix or the disruption it would cause. So with dedication, the help of a few vendors and off-the-shelf Microsoft software, a company engineering team came up with a solution that is now saving millions in energy costs.

David Bartlett, VP of Smarter Buildings for IBM, is very clear on several points. Among them: One of the best ways to build smarter cities is to start with smarter buildings. But he says that's something we're not doing very well – yet.

Local governments don't generally have a lot of experience with big data, and that can lead to failure for city data initiatives. But it doesn't have to be that way. There are ways around the challenges and impediments. Read on to learn some of them.

The value of data is unmistakable for smart cities, and as we continue to learn more about using and optimising it the more valuable it will become. In our story, we share insights and recommendations on the ways we use data today and its potential for the future.

If urban planning is to remain effective in guiding the development and growth of the technology-laden smart cities of the future, planners will likely have to become more tech-savvy to make the most of new forms of data and its sources in their decision making. Read our story for key insights from Wellington planner David Batchelor.

With several smart city successes already under its belt, Kansas City is expanding its efforts to improve basic services, shrink the digital divide and more. And city officials are very much relying on data — and a new public/private partnership — to help them do it.

Old black-smoke-belching stoves in India lead to problems ranging from climate change to lung disease. But an innovative program that pairs rich analytics with incentives is getting Indian households to quickly embrace cleaner stoves. See how.